Helping LURC regain clout before it’s too late

Maine’s unorganized territory is the largest block of underdeveloped forestland in the Northeast – the size of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. It encompasses the breathtaking Moosehead Lake region, the remote upper St. John River area, the East and West branches of the Penobscot River, and the Downeast Lakes country.

These wildlands, often referred to as the North Woods, are a precious resource for Maine people. With its abundance of lakes, rivers, forests and wildlife, the unorganized territory is as much a natural treasure as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone’s Old Faithful or the Sierra Mountains. Yet, Maine’s Legislature in the past has undermined the one Maine agency, the Land Use Regulation Commission, that could protect this treasure. This letter is a plea to the Baldacci administration, the current Legislature and the public to help LURC regain its clout before it is too late.

As the planning and zoning board for half of Maine, LURC would appear to have enormous clout over activities in the unorganized territory. LURC has the sole authority to grant or deny development permits in the wildlands. But in recent years, there have been crippling budget and staff cuts, loss of statutory authority, and lack of visionary advocacy for Maine land.

Under the King administration which advocated for land development, not land protection, LURC was forced to adopt a policy of “customer service” (i.e., customers being the forestry industry and other business interests) and fast permitting to cut down on “customer” complaints. This compromised LURC’s ability to do judicious reviews of permit requests or to oversee regulatory violations and environmental damage. Special interest lobbying by the forest industry further undermined LURC status in the Legislature. Currently, at this time of considerable budget woes, the Baldacci administration isn’t able or willing to give LURC the resources it needs to protect our land.

Not so long ago the unorganized territories were known as a giant “paper plantation” mostly owned by a dozen or so big corporations and families. In the late 1980s the industry began to shrink, well-paying mill jobs left Maine, and large land sales began. About 28 percent of Maine forestland changed hands, and old and new timberland owners, among them unidentified investor groups, became real estate developers – take Plum Creek Land Co,. for example. They discovered that they could rake in impressive profits from subdividing forestland on secluded lakes or ponds instead of keeping it in productive timberland management. The balance between development and conservation of Maine wildlands has never been more precarious. The Baldacci administration, the current Legislature, and all Maine people with a stake in preserving the unique character of Maine need to help LURC regain its clout.

First, LURC needs money and authority from the Legislature to take the time needed to study permit requests – before voting on the projects. LURC needs the resources to understand thoroughly what is being proposed and what land values are at stake – for all Maine people, not just big business. It is conceivable that large landholders, often investor groups from outside of Maine, will propose mega-lake development on their land holdings. Year-round mansions, power lines, tarred roads, and septic systems could potentially blanket the wildwoods in the future.

Second, all the advocacy organizations with a stake in Maine’s environment and wildlife (e.g., Natural Resources Council of Maine, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society, Izaak Walton League of Maine, and Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine) need to come forward to advocate for LURC. In all the recent hoopla over budget cuts in many state departments, no one came forward to advocate for LURC – as they did for education and social services. It will take the collective efforts of all environmental and wildlife organizations working together to offset the lobbying of the forestry industry and big business.

Third, in light of dramatic land sales, economic shifts, and recreational pressures on the wildlands, LURC needs more attention from the governor. The Baldacci administration needs to communicate a new top-down policy that allows LURC to better balance the needs of land conservation with business interests. Then, LURC could shift its focus from making the permitting process “as fast as possible for the applicant” to considering carefully the preservation of the natural and ecological values of the jurisdiction. It could also focus on enforcing rules that protect the land. Reports are increasing about landowners building without the required permits because they think they can get away with it, given how LURC has had to back off from enforcement and presence in the field.

Fourth, with a change in top-down policy, LURC could take time to be more conscious of everyday Mainers when they make decisions. Many of us are more conservation-minded these days, and we are aware of the political shenanigans that go on behind the scenes with special interest lobbying that favors big business development at the expense of public knowledge. This means LURC would have the authority to stop cutting deals with the applicants before the public knows about the permit proposal in a jurisdiction. In effect, LURC would have permission to stop appeasing developers at the expense of protecting the character of the wildlands.

Finally, just as LURC needs to become more aware of the interests of the everyday public, the everyday public needs to become more aware of the history and role of LURC in protecting our valuable natural resources. We are all at fault for losing Maine’s unique wilderness character if we don’t become more involved at this crucial juncture by becoming knowledgeable about the land issues at stake and the important role LURC needs to play in them.

For a comprehensive look at LURC’s past, present and future see articles in Maine Environmental News (www.meepi.org). We need to stand behind the new LURC director, Catherine Carroll, as she tries to rebuild a decimated LURC into a pro-active and cohesive team of commissioners who have the clout and vision to address the many difficult land use issues that will pressure the wildlands of Maine in the future.

Paula Moore is a resident of Orono.